Clintonville booms are back

Late Tuesday night the Clintonville Police Department received roughly 60 phone calls from people reporting shakes and booms. But, this time, geologists say, there was no seismic activity.

"There's no reason to doubt science. If geologists saw that kind of indication, we're not pretending to be experts," City Administrator Lisa Kuss said. "But, all of us whether we work for the city or are residents need to realize these people do this for a living."

But, while geologists say they did not register an earthquake that doesn't mean there wasn't one. City officials released a press release late Wednesday afternoon. Authorities say factors like location of the seismic monitors, strong winds, or noises in the earth could be factors that might prevent data from being collected.

But, all the uncertainty has some residents wondering if the city is hiding something,

But city officials want to assure the public. "There is nothing to cover up," Kuss explains. "What we told the public is exactly what we knew and what we didn't know we told them."

Verda Schultz agrees. She thinks the city is handling the odd situation the best way they know how.

"She (Kuss) is doing the best she can informing the public so we all aren't scared and run away," Schultz said.

The activity started last Monday. The Clintonville Police Department was flooded with hundreds of phone calls from people reporting earth rattling noises. Geologists confirmed that the cause was a series of mini earth quakes.

"It was like someone took a sledgehammer to the pipes in my house," Cartwright remembers.

But now, as the activity continues, city officials have formerly requested seismic monitors to be brought in from out of state to help determine the cause.

"We will continue to monitor the situation," Kuss said. "We want to assure people we are doing everything we can to get to the bottom of this and keep the people of Clintonville safe."

City officials say there is no time line for when the monitors will be delivered. They say there are permanent seismic stations set up in Wisconsin and six temporary stations closer to Clintonville. But geologists must approve the monitor transfer before they can be used.

And for now, residents in Clintonville are left to wonder what will happen next.